Justice system helps to raise stock-theft

CALISTUS KOLANTSHO
Correspondent | Friday June 4, 2010 00:00

Mazwiduma said in an interview with Mmegi yesterday that criminals prefer to be tried by the magistrates courts because they are aware that their cases will take a long time to be completed.

'They know that during that period when the trial is not heard, exhibits being cattle or goats die. It is costly for us to take care of them, while they are in our custody. The justice system must be overhauled and the pace that these cases are handled must be increased,' he said. Mazwiduma revealed that there are only two magistrates in Selebi-Phikwe responsible for handling cases from six police stations in the district. He said a stock-theft magistrate must be appointed for the district because the current magistrates are not coping with the workload.

He mentioned that the jail term for the offence is fine but the main challenge is the period that is taken to dispose of the matters. He stated that stock-theft cases must be held within a week or less to enable the state prosecute the offenders with enough evidence. He mentioned that the police kraals, starting from Serule up to Baines Drift are full of cattle that are yet to be produced before the courts as evidence.

Mazwiduma revealed that they have realised that goats are also stolen at an alarming rate in the district.'Individuals are sold the stolen stock for rearing and those that have been recovered have been rebranded and their ear marks have been modified,' he noted. He pointed out that they are also concerned about repeated bail that is granted to stock-theft criminals. He says such decisions encourage them to continue causing havoc to farmers, adding that the courts must avoid doing that. The police boss said in 2009, District Number 10 had the highest number of stock theft cases than other districts across the country.

Mazwiduma said cattle theft along the Zimbabwean border in Bobirwa, especially near Semolale, has now been reduced. He attributed the decline to the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) patrols in the area.

He also commended the villagers for assisting the law enforcers during their patrols and encouraged them to continue with their good spirit of protecting their animals. Furthermore, Mazwiduma said crime statistics have declined since the beginning of the year, compared to the last year. 'In 2008 we had 634 burglary cases and 2009 we had 297. We had 344 housebreaking cases in 2008 and they came down to 278 in 2009. In 2008 we recorded 239 shop breaking incidents in 2008 and in 2009 they came down to 142.

In 2008 we had 182 cases of robbery and in 2009 they hit a decline of 85,' he said. He said the decline is a welcome development and they will work hard to bring crime down because there is no way it can be stopped completely because as long as there are developments, crime will always be there.

Mazwiduma expressed concern about the mushrooming of passion killings in the district.  'In the past two years, 39 people have died and this year, already five people have been killed. 'These cases are mostly common among youthful lovers. The latest incident happened in Semolale where a 25 year-old man killed his girlfriend also aged 25, with an object that is suspected to be a knife this week. 'The boyfriend has since been arrested.

We have been informed that the young woman met her untimely death after accusing her boyfriend of cheating on her,' he said.

The police chief said there is nobody who should be reminded of the Zimbabwean economical situation. He stated that the Zimbabweans who are normally seen in the mall area of Selebi-Phikwe are not supposed to be there but the police are trying all the best to take them back home but the situation is not improving. 'It is like pouring water into a bottomless tank because they keep on coming back,' he said.

Mazwiduma said it is an offence to idle but they idle in the mall looking for piece jobs which they get from locals.He warned that it is an offence to hire a foreigner without a work permit.  He also mentioned that those Zimbabweans that are selling DVD's are also breaking the law because they do not have trading licenses. 

Mazwiduma said despite the challenges they face in dealing with the Zimbabweans, they will keep on arresting them.